Revetment for levers or other embankments.



'I'. S. WILKINSON.

REVETMBNT POR LBVEES 0R OTHER EMBANKMENTS. APPLIOATION FILED 0CT.11, 1912.

1,048,251 Patented Deo. 24, 1912 To all whom t may concern THEODORE S. WILKINSON, OF MYRTLE GROVE, LOUISIANA.

REVE'IMENT FOR LEVEES 0R OTHER EMBANKMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1912.

Application filed October 11, 1912. Serial No. 725,327.

Be it known that I, THEoDoRE S. Winni-N- SoN, a citizen of the United States, reslding at Myrtle Grove, in the parish of Plaquemines and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Revetments for Levees or other Embankments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrlptlon of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to improve-v l overflow are generally provided with gradually sloping sidesand a'flat top, and to protect the outer face of the levee from erosion or wave wash, a revetment of some kind 1s desirable.

The more common method is to drive a series of vertical boards spaced away from the levee, nailed on to one or more-longitudinal timbers with braces notched into the revetment ,and projecting on the top of the levee,l and fastened by stakes driven into the levee. A 'serious objection to this form .of revetment is that not only does it requlre bracing, but also, when the wind is high and 11p-stream, the Vwavesare apt to break over the top of the' revetm'ent, and as the water falls on the outside the braces are dislodged or pulled out,- and the revet-ment is apt to bulge outward and become loose and finally wash away. V

Another method of t-ried excellence, but great cost, is to reinforce the exposed face of the levee with a sheet, or layer, of concrete which is held in place by its own weight, there being no fastening of the concrete to the levee itself.

According to my invention, I provide a wooden revetment shielding the inclined face of the levee and attached thereto, as will be hereinafter described, and a revetment projecting down into the earth'below the base of the levee in a vertical or inclined direction, but at a different angle from the t revetment on the face of the levee itself.

l section, along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and 1 represents the main body of the ground` on which the levee is built, and 2 shows the earthwork embankment constituting the leveel and having inclined faces 3 and 4 and a flat top 5 the inclined face 4 being broken away at the right of Fig. 2. y

6, shown in detail in Fig. 4, is a longitudinal timber having its face beveled to suit the slope of levee, as at 14, parallel with the front face of the levee. To-this timber, the boards 7 are nailed, as shown, or the timber is nailed on the boards. These boards' are preferably made of heavy tongue and groove lumber sharpened at the bottom end, as at Back of thls beveled` timber wall, as shown most clearly in detail in'Fig. 4.. One or more horizontal timbers 10 are laid on the face of the levee, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, or let into said face, as shown in Fig. 5. Alongside these horizontal timbers, pins are driven and nailed on to these timbers. Theboards 13 are then attached, forming` an inclined wooden apron, which will effectually prevent the erosion of the face of the levee.'

Before putting the boards13 in place, the spaces or chambers between the horizontal timbers 10 should preferably be filled in flush with earth, and thus there will be little,

^ if any, opportunity for the water to wash over the top of the revetment and get in between it and the face of the levee.

It will be noted that the upper longitudinal timber l0 will alsoV prevent the water from owing down between the facei of the levee and the innerl face of the boards 13.

In practice, it would be preferable to have all of the wooden portion of the revetment .creosoted, not only to protect it from decay,

but also to keep vermin from gnawing through the same, as before stated.

The number of horizontal timbers would obviously var with the height of the levee and'local con itions, such as greater or less exposure to Wash, or the like, as the distance apart of the'horizontal timbers should be preferably not over 8 Jfeet.

It Will thus be seen that I provide a Wooden revetment which projects down into the ground at the base of the levee, and above vthe ground formsJ an inclined apron which is securely attached to the levee, and which is not likely to be displaced therefrom by Wash of Waves, or the like; the eifect of the complete revetment being at'the same time to withstand the attacks of earthborers'of all kinds through the base, but also to protect the levee from the onward force of the Waves, ,the protecting apron being fastened to timbers resting directly on thei earthWorkriver face; and the revetment also serves as a protection against the force caused by the recession of the Waves, pre venting the access of water, except in a tritling amount, behind the timber-work.

It will be obvious that various modica- .tions might be made in the herein described `construction and 1n the combinations and arrangements of parts, which could .be used without.v departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is -1. A revetment for levees, or other earth embankments, comprising a substantially vertical Wooden Wall projecting down into the earth at the base of the embankment, and an inclined Wooden revetment fastened to horizontal timbers amply secured in posi# tion forming an inclined apron, protecting both the base and the face of stantially as described.

2. A revetment vfor levees, or other earth embankments, comprising a substantially said levee, subvertical VWooden Wall driven into the earth at the base of the embankment, a continuous i nailed over said horizontal timber having a beveled face secured to the head of said Wooden Wall, one or more horizontal timbers secured to the face of the levee, earth filling up the pockets formed by said horizontal timbers, and planking timbers and said beveled timber, and l, forming a Wooden apron for the outer facek of the levee, substantially as described.

3. A revetmentfor levees, or other earth timbers and said beveled timber, and forms ing a Wooden apron for the outer face of the levee, substantially as described.

A. A revetment for levees, or other earth embankments, comprising a Wooden Wall projecting down into theearth at the base of the embankment, and an inclined Wooden revetment comprising a frame secured to the levee, and planking secured on said frame and forming an inclined apron protecting the face of said levee, substantially as described.

5. A revetment forv levees, or other earth embankments, comprlslng a Wooden Wall driven into the earth at the base of the embankment, acontinuous timber having a beveled face secured tothe Vhead of said wooden wall, longitudinal timbers attached to said beveled timber, and securedto the face of the levee, andplanking nailed over said longitudinal timbers and said beveled timber, and forming an inclined Wooden apron for the outer face of the levee, substantially as described.

6. A revetment for levees, or other earth embankments, comprising a .Wooden Wall embedded in the earth-at the base of the embankment, a continuous timber having a beveled face secured to the head of said- I Wooden Wall, longitudinal timbers mounted on the face of the levee, wooden pins driven into the levee and nailed to said longitudinal timbers, and planking nailed over said timbers and forming an inclined4 Wooden aprqn for the outer face of the levee, substantially as described.

AIn testimony whereof, I'atlix -my signature, in presence-of two witnesses. f

THEODORE S. l/VILKIN SON.

Witnesses EUG. A. GARCIA, A. O. HARANG.

Cepes of this meent-may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

